The Rising Of Rye

Rye bread has been around for millennia, providing sustenance to all of Northern Europeans.It is popular here in the States,however a paler version of it. That's all changing, thanks to a new movement

Julia Moskin wrote about it in yesterday's New York Times' Food section. American's are about to get their tastes bud blown away with a return to traditional ryes.These are more like pumpernickel, the color of a chocolate cake with the spiciness of gingerbread.It is a dense, chewy crumb that requires a slow rise in a hot steamy oven to rise. Icelandic bakers put the rye dough underground to be baked in geothermal springs.Norwegians repurposes it, frying it into crisp crackers. American bakers have made rye pound cakes such as the baker at San Francisco's Bar Tartine. Concord Massachusetts Bondir serves rye in stews, with the chef , Jason Bond, gets the rye in bales.Most Americans are used to the Jewish sissal - or caraway rye, a pale yellow..Massachusetts Brown Bread was the colonists attempts at rye , using it after their wheat crop failed.


Rye bread is not for beginner bakers. The Times recipe calls for two to three days of prep along with getting a buttermilk  or  yogurt starter.There's also getting the rye berries or meal which some groceries have and can also be bought at Amazon.com. The dough is not the usual sticky kind but more like a runny batter.It's an eggless recipe that requires malt syrup or molasses.The loaf pans do have to be very thickly buttered too. An easier version is the recipe for the Jewish one.It's a mix of bread and rye flour,Honey and oil are also added and the whole dough is kneaded with a bread hook.The only labor intensive part is oiling a bowl. The dough is baked in a 450 oven on the lower most rack.  Three knife slashes from a paring knife. have to be made across the top. and then a cornstarch glaze is brushed across it to give that nice glaze .

Rye bread is a delicious chew.They may be a bit labor intensive to bake but worth it. Try this ancient grain and it's dark richness.

A Day Off

Sorry readers. I have a really bad case of gall and have to take the day off

The ideal Icing

The icing or more appropriately the frosting makes the cake. It's the selling point that can either give it a thumbs up or a thumbs down moment. The question is what is the best one? Buttercream? whipped cream? Or just a simple dusting of confectioners sugar.

I've been obsessed with this since I started serious baking again.To me, one of the best frostings came from the famed Magnolia Bakery along with Jane's Off Seventh The second , sadly, isn' t

t there anymore, due to high rents and the owner passing. The owner made the best cupcakes, a tender moist crumb with a deliciously creamy buttercream Magnolia Bakery, has so-so cupcakes but ones with a really good, homemade tasting icing.This is the icing I long to make. I found a website Two Sisters Crafting, a craftsy site that features everything from knitting projects to baking. It was created by two sisters, Laurie and Nancy who have recipes and ideas for almost every holiday and football teams. Their buttercream icing recipes are varied with flavors I would have never associated with this sort of frosting. There's butter rum (!) and peanut butter (!) and even cookie dough (!). I just wanted a simple buttercream one one that I can dye and make a pretty icingand   with  even prettier decorations.It also seems to be really creamy too. Another plus is that it has chocolate buttercream icing ,a perfect go to with yellow cake - the ideal combo according to one friend,

Many (such as my Mom) prefer a whipped cream icing.It's lighter and less sweeter tasting  than buttercream that sometimes can taste like divinity fudge. Two Sisters has this which is a combo of two cups heavy whipping cream, white chocolate pudding mix and confectioner's sugar. There is also a sturdy (?) whipped cream icing recipe .It is a mix of heavy whipped cream and cream cheese. It

doesn't have the usual confectioner's sugar but granular white. It's non-meltable which means it will hold it's shaped if it's piped on a cake or cupcake's surface.Is there a pure cream icing, similar to what bakeries put on their cakes? It probably has some kind of gelatin to make it solid. instead of running down the sides. Th best example of this is  Charlotte Russe , a disc of vanilla, angel or sponge cake topped with a puff of whipped cream. It's served in a push pop kind of cylinder  where you have to push the bottom up to get a mouthful of cream and cake, Another idea is just getting a can of Reddi Whip and spritzing the cake or cupcakes with it. A simpler idea is just dusting the cake and cupcakes tops with a fine dusting of sifted confectioner's sugar. This is an elegant way of serving both and does appeal to many people, including myself.

What makes the best icing? The creamy sweet buttercream?  The light and airy whipped cream? Or the plain yet classy dusting of confectioner's sugar? It depends on taste - not simply on look. The most memorable treats are the ones that taste delicious.That's what makes the ideal and best icing.

Creating The Perfect Pantry

What makes a perfect pantry? Is it canned goods like soup and beans? Dry goods such as flour and baking soda? Jars of this? Containers of that? Not surprisingly it is a manageable blend of  variety of different foods, Have the right amount and you'll never go through a shortage.

Canned goods are always important, especially now in the cold weather. Homemade soup is good but it pays to have several cans of prepared soup. They make a quick lunch or supper and can also be used in a variety of casseroles too. Always have everyone's favorite , from tomato to chicken and stars. Take advantage of sales at the local grocery too. If they have a twofer sale, then definitely get more of them, Packets of soup mixes are a pantry plus. They have the flavor of homemade soup without all the work.  Another pantry must are bouillion cubes. Get all three kinds, chicken, beef and vegetable, to make a variety of different soups and sauces.Sauce packets such as chili and Hollandaise are also worth having along with instant meat sauces for roasts. Jarred sauces can also be put into the pantry too.Canned veggies and fruits are a must too. The canned veggies come in handy if there's a blizzard and you can't get to the store. They can also be added to soups and soup mixes. The fruits are perfect for making pies and turnovers.

Tomato sauce and paste should be prominent on any pantry's shelf. These always come in handy for when you're making homemade sauce for pasta. The same goes for pasta, itself. Have a variety to suit all tastes. Spaghetti is the most popular and easiest to cook so have a few boxes of it at hand. Also on the shelves should be the versatile pastina and orzo style. These are excellent in both soup and sauces. Slip in a box of the drinking straw like bucatini and thicker fettucini. If you have kids or still hold on to those childhood faves, then have a few cans of Spaghetti-os too. The pantry should  have plant based oils . Olive and vegetable are the ones of choice, especially the last because it can be used for everything from cooking to salads to even baking. Cake mixes along with flour and baking powder should also be included as well as decorating items such as sanding sugar, food coloring and various types of sprinkles. Sweet sauces such as chocolate and caramel along with  jams and jellies need to  stored there in addition,.


A good pantry is a well stocked one, Make sure there are the basics to help you get through everyday eating. It'll make cooking and baking that much easier.it'll also cut down on how many times you go food shopping in a week.

Epiphany Treats

Yesterday, January 6th was Epiphany, the day the Three Wisemen visited the Christ Child with gifts. The day and the treats that go with it can be extended for more celebrating. There are a variety of different dishes that celebrate this joyous day.

Different sects of Christianity celebrate the day with unique and diverse customs. Roman Catholics and Episcopalians celebrate with a King cake. This also makes appearance at Mardi Gras too, it's more of a cinnamon bread rich with cinnamon , nutmeg and butter. Raisins are also added too for color and added sweetness. There is usually a charm or even just a simple bean added  and the person who finds it is crowned king or queen. The Episcopalians have their version of this, namely any kind of cake but a light colored cake enables eaters to see the trinkets. Tiny plastic babies, representing Baby Jesus are added as well as dimes, symbolizing money, toy rings that symbolize the church's blessing, thimbles for increased industry, buttons for increased spiritual knowledge, shoes for waking in Jesus' path and fruit to reap the fruit of Christian living.One or all can be added. Germany and Mexico also serve similar cakes. Again the German version is more of a lemon and orange infused sweet bread with an almond hidden inside. Mexicans put candied fruit such as figs , raisins and citron in theirs.

Italy has the tradition of La Befana, the witch who visits with gifts.Mostly these are sweets being put into a stocking (sound familiar?) and the occassional lump of charcoal (again - sound familair) There is a savory dish made, namely a rich lasagna made with seafood and Cognac, whiskey and white wine. The seafood is shrimp and clams  enrobed in a rich bechamel sauce. The Greeks too have put their spin on this time honored and ancient holiday. Young men  dive into whatever body of water is nearby to retrieve a cross their priest has thrown in. Afterwards, they eat a dish made with wheat and peas called fotokoliva to ensure good health and fortune in their homes. They also fed their livestock this too, for  a prosperous and fertile year, The Northern Greeks make a giant bean and onion casserole that consists of fava or cannellini beans and baby onions. Fresh and canned crushed tomatoes are added for more flavor and color along with paprika and sugar. Bay leaves give the stew a nice earthy kick. The Greeks also serve several sweet breads such as Saint Basil's bread, all with a hidden coin tucked inside for luck.


This is a weekend to continue with holiday feasting and gift giving. Celebrate Epiphany with different dishes and sweet, along with lsitening to the story of the Magi.It's a nice extension of Christmas and New Year's.

Baking Fever

With the cold weather and new stove I've been gripped by baking fever - and cooking fever as well.It's the baking though, and visions of  cupccakes wth a buttercream puff and loaded pizzas that are doing me in I now know I'm happiest by a hot oven, with mouthwatering aromas swirling about me.

Today it was the Stop and Shop brand cinnamon bums.

I like the  in house brands. To me they're much more flavorful than the national ones and these were no exception. There were a few glitches. It was impossible to get the dough out of the cannister. Unlike the Pilsbury version where you just thwack the canister against the sink, the Stop & Shop ones require peeling the wrapping and twisting the  paper tube  underneath. .It proved to be just a tad messy with the icing packet flying out  and the dough almost falling out. Then the buns themselves were stuck together in a long continuous spiral. They had to be cut and then wrapped in tight circles in a greased cake pan. Another problem was the baking time. The directions said twelve to sixteen minutes or until they're  golden brown. in a 400 degree oven F. It took twenty minutes for them to bake, eight minutes more than recommended. Icing them was easy. It was a small  

bag, no bigger than a turnover and quite easy to handle. The end result was a nice gooey, manageable roll, definitely better than the Cinnebon kind. - without all that gooey cream cheese icing and overdose of cinnamon.

I am not stopping there. It's on to cakes , pizza and cupcakes. I do have to stock up and refill my baking arsenal.Thanks to my previous one that was slightly younger than me agewise, the oven was on the fritz. The days of baking were over. Pans rusted, Gadgets were lost or tossed out. I just ordered an all important cake tester which I don;t have. I had to use a barbecue skewer to see if the buns were baked. Not good. Another package from Amazon will be the Wilton cake decorating kit.. This I am really excited about.  there's nothing more fun that creating buttercream roses and swirls on cakes and cupcakes.My one goal is making a snowball cake. Basically, it's like the Hostess Snoballs, with a devil's food cake coated with marshmallow and coconut.The marshmallow may be too  sweet so maybe a whipped cream icing followed by a coating of coconut flakes.Of course I am also longing to make cupcakes with a Magnolia bakery icing(I even bought all natural food coloring to create pretty Easter egg colored toppings)  and a pizza with all the works, from soy pepperoni , extra sauce, and a crisp , crust.

Baking fever has gripped me.I'm on the verge of creating all sorts of goodies and good stuff. Will it ever end? Hopefully before I hit the next jeans's size .

Winter Stews

One of the easiest and best dishes to make during a snowy day is a good stew. It can be a simple or fancy , depending on your tastes. One thing to remember - make it rib-sticking. A hearty meal is needed to help in shoveling all that white stuff along with managing a sled or snowball fight.

Even the most novice of home chefs can whip up a stew. Stick to the most basic of recipes. Most beginners try a beef one before they move on to the more complex ones. It's two pounds of stew meat, cut into chunks along with beef bouillon and simple vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Celery stalks and chopped onion are added to the mix to give it more flavor along with rosemary and dried parsley. Cornstarch is a must. Two tablespoons of it binds the stew together and gives it a rich thick gravy. Chicken stew is another easy and basic recipe. It's really the same as the beef save for the addition of mushrooms and poultry seasoning. Dumplings are always a treat and they're easy to make.They just cook right on top of the stew. You could also use those frozen biscuits too. Pork isn't
necessarily thought of as a stew meat yet it can be the star of a particularly tasty one. Surprisingly it needs beef bouillon as a  base  and needs stronger tasting veggies such as bell peppers and corn to compete with the meat's unique taste. Lamb stew is the all time classic.It is usually made with tomatoes, Thyme and bay leave along with carrots and potatoes give it that classic taste . Serve with a crusty bread  and a good Irish beer..

Once the basic recipe has been tackled you can move onto the more complex stews. One is the time-honored beef bourguignon. This is a rich melange of  beef, tomato paste,  red wine and bacon.Onions give it that sweet flavor as garlic zips it up. Unlike the simpler stews, this one needs butter , usually four to five tablespoons for richness. A hot crusty loaf  French bread is always served with it to sop up the gravy along with a good red wine. The French also give us cassoulet, a delicious blend of tasty duck meat, salt pork or sausage, and cannellini beans. A confit or duck fat is added too. Thyme, bay leaf and garlic accentuate the variety of meats' flavors. Another dish that's sort of stew like and still fancy is beef daube. This is a boozy mix of  Cognac, bacon and cubed beef roast with the fat and sinews removed. Garlic, shallots and a bouquet garni, a blend of dried thyme, rosemary, parsley and celery leaves.Veggies are carrots and parsnips which give the stew more flavor. Another almost stew again belongs to the French. It's coq 'au vin, chicken pieces heightened  again by Cognac and lardons along celery and pearl onions, the last giving it some sweetness.

Stews are the best dish to eat on a winter's day. Whether simple or complex one, they are rib sticking and hearty, perfecting for thawing out. Make one and enjoy their comforting flavor and cozy warmth,